Start with a Tmoney card
Visit a participating CU, GS25, 7-Eleven or Emart24, ask for a Tmoney card (about ₩3,000–5,000), and hand over cash to load it — ₩10,000 or ₩20,000 is a sensible start. Buying an ordinary physical card does not require an account, app or Korean phone number. From then on you tap the card on the reader at the subway gate and again at the exit, and on a bus as you board and as you get off. The card works on many city bus and subway networks, in participating taxis and at supported convenience-store tills. “What is a Tmoney transit card?” covers the Tmoney card itself; “Can I top up a Tmoney card at a subway station?” covers the machines.
One thing to settle first: your own bank card does not open a gate. Korean gates read Korean transit cards only, so every way of paying below is a way of getting money onto one. “Can I tap my Visa at the subway gate?” has the full story.
The three alternatives, and who each is for
Tmoney in Apple Wallet — for an iPhone or Apple Watch user who would rather not carry another card. Hold the phone to the gate; it has worked since 21 July 2025 with no unlocking. Loading it with a foreign card has its own rules, so read “Can I add a Tmoney transit card to my iPhone?” before relying on it.
WOWPASS — for someone landing with foreign cash and no won. A kiosk at a station or hotel turns your cash into a prepaid card with separate shopping and transit balances that also allows cash withdrawal at WOWPASS kiosks — up to ₩100,000 a time for a ₩1,000 fee. “What is WOWPASS, the prepaid card for visitors?” has the details.
Climate Card (기후동행카드) — for busy days within the covered Seoul network. The 1/2/3/5/7-day passes cost ₩5,000/8,000/10,000/15,000/20,000, plus ₩3,000 for the physical card. Short-term passes remain available, but new 30-day prepaid loads ended on 31 August 2026. The replacement Climate Pass requires eligible Seoul residence and foreigner registration, so it is not the usual visitor option. Check the route coverage before buying: airport buses and the Sinbundang Line are excluded.
Which one is yours
| Your situation | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First visit, no strong preference | Tmoney card | Buy the card and add money before using it. |
| iPhone, and you would rather not carry a card | Tmoney in Apple Wallet | Check compatibility and set up a funded transit card before travelling. |
| Landing with foreign cash and no won | WOWPASS | Check currency exchange and top up the separate shopping and transit balances. |
| Several busy days within the covered Seoul network | Short-term Climate Card | Compare the pass price with your planned rides |
| Two or three days, a handful of rides | Tmoney card, or a 1–3 day Climate Card pass | At low ride counts per-ride fares are usually cheaper |
| Android phone | Tmoney card or WOWPASS | Both work whatever phone you carry |
| Landed with nothing but a foreign bank card | A station ticket machine | Supported Seoul machines sell single tickets and short-term Climate Cards with an overseas card |
| Want the least left over when you leave | Tmoney card, and plan the refund | “Getting my Tmoney or WOWPASS balance back before I fly” explains the refund |
Landed with only a bank card
Seoul’s March 2026 launch covers single-journey tickets and short-term Climate Cards at 440 new machines across 273 stations on Lines 1–8. It does not establish that a foreign card can reload ordinary Tmoney. Carry won for Tmoney, or use a supported mobile top-up method. At Incheon, buy the airport-train or bus ticket through its own sales channel.
Mistakes to avoid
- Check coverage for your airport journey. Airport buses and the Sinbundang Line are excluded. Check the current airport-rail rules separately; coverage can depend on direction.
- Treating WOWPASS and the Climate Card as rivals. One is about not
carrying cash and several cards; the other is about not paying per ride. A heavy rider who also needs currency exchange can reasonably carry both.
- Planning to tap your own bank card. Arrange a supported transit card or ticket before you try to board.
